Protothecosis in Dogs: A Narrative Review.

Protothecosis is a rare and unusual disease that affects both humans and animals, including dogs. The causative agents are unicellular, achlorophyllous, "yeast-like" microalgae of the genus Prototheca (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Although usually saprophytic, Prototheca may, under conditions of immunologic compromise, become pathogenic and even lethal to the host.

Reduced plastid genomes of colorless facultative pathogens Prototheca (Chlorophyta) are retained for membrane transport genes.

Background: Plastids are usually involved in photosynthesis, but the secondary loss of this function is a widespread phenomenon in various lineages of algae and plants. In addition to the loss of genes associated with photosynthesis, the plastid genomes of colorless algae are frequently reduced further. To understand the pathways of reductive evolution associated with the loss of photosynthesis, it is necessary to study a number of closely related strains.

Correction: Molecular snapshot of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Plateau State, Nigeria.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Genotyping and drug susceptibility profiling of Prototheca sp. strains isolated from cases of protothecosis in dogs.

Background: Protothecosis in dogs is a rare, yet emerging disease, distinguished by its often-aggressive clinical course and high fatality rate. Our study was conducted to enhance treatment protocols for affected dogs by better understanding the genetic diversity and drug resistance patterns of Prototheca species.

Objectives: To identify species and drug susceptibility profiles of an international collection of 28 Prototheca strains isolated from cases of protothecosis in dogs.

Spoligotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - Comparing in vitro and in silico approaches.

Spoligotyping is one of the molecular typing methods widely used for exploring the genetic variety of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to compare the spoligoprofiles of M. tuberculosis clinical isolates, obtained using in vitro and in silico approaches.

Phylogenetic relationships of isolates in Poland: The emergence of Beijing genotype among multidrug-resistant cases.

Introduction: The epidemiological situation of tuberculosis (TB) in Poland urges for its continuous and scrupulous monitoring. The objective of this study was to explore the genetic diversity of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and drug-susceptible (DS) isolates from Poland with a combination of spoligotyping and high-resolution mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) analysis. The results were placed in the Northern and Eastern Europe context.

Occurrence of Microalgae in Aquatic Ecosystems with a Description of Three New Species, Prototheca fontanea, Prototheca lentecrescens, and Prototheca vistulensis.

species are unicellular, nonphotosynthetic, saprophytic, and occasionally pathogenic, microalgae, with an extensive environmental reservoir. This study explores, for the first time, the occurrence of in aquatic ecosystems by using a molecular profiling approach. A total of 362 samples were collected from 80 natural and artificial waterbodies at 88 sampling sites in 26 localities across Poland during a 1.

Molecular snapshot of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Plateau State, Nigeria.

Nigeria ranks 1st in Africa and 6th globally with the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB). However, only a relatively few studies have addressed the molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this country. The aim of this work was to analyze the genetic structure of drug-resistant (DR) M.

Prevalence of Malassezia species on the skin of HIV-seropositive patients.

Malassezia is a genus of lipophilic yeasts residing on the skin of warm-blooded animals. The correlation between specific species and their involvement in skin diseases has been well researched. However, only very few studies have investigated the distribution of Malassezia spp.

Sequencing and Analysis of the Complete Organellar Genomes of .

Of the genus, has the highest clinical significance in humans. However, neither nuclear nor organellar genomes of this species were sequenced until now. The hitherto determined and analyzed mitochondrial and plastid genomes of the alleged species belong in fact to another species, recently named e.

The first outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in dairy cattle in Poland with evidence of on-farm and intrahousehold transmission.

Staphylococcus aureus is a widely recognized pathogen responsible for many serious diseases in both humans and animals. It is also one of the major causative agents of bovine mastitis. Methicillin-resistant S.

Genomic Insights Into the Complex: An Update.

Only very recently, has it been proposed that the hitherto existing subtypes (I-VI) should be elevated, each, to a species rank. Consequently, the former subtypes have been denominated as (former type I), (II), (III), (V), and (VI). The present work extends the recently published findings by using a three-pronged computational strategy, based on the alignment fraction-average nucleotide identity, genome-to-genome distance, and core-genome phylogeny, yet essentially independent and much larger sample, and thus delivers a more refined and complete picture of the complex.

Prevalence of Prototheca spp. on dairy farms in Poland - a cross-country study.

The Prototheca algae have recently emerged as an important cause of bovine mastitis globally. Here, we present results of a first large-scale, cross-country survey on the prevalence of Prototheca spp. in dairy cows, and their environment in Poland.

A survey on the incidence of Prototheca mastitis in dairy herds in Lublin province, Poland.

Prototheca mastitis has recently become an emerging disease; although its incidence is increasing steadily, its epidemiology remains largely understudied. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of Prototheca spp. in dairy cows and their environment in Lublin province, covering most of southeastern Poland.

PCR-RFLP assays for species-specific identification of fungi belonging to Scopulariopsis and related genera.

Fungi of the Scopulariopsis genus, commonly found in the environment, are opportunistic pathogens that can cause various types of human infections. So far, no efficient molecular method has been developed for species differentiation among Scopulariopsis and related genera. In order to advance this field, we have evaluated performance of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assays, based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and β-tubulin genes.

Evaluation of Genotype MTBDR and MTBDR Assays for Rapid Detection of Drug Resistance in Extensively Drug-Resistant Isolates in Pakistan.

Pakistan ranks 5th among the world's highest tuberculosis (TB) burden countries alongside the 6th among countries with the highest burden of drug-resistant TB, including multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB. Methods for rapid and reliable drug susceptibility testing (DST) are prerequisite for the prompt institution of effective anti-TB treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of Genotype MTBDR and MTBDR assays for the detection of MDR and (pre-) extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) isolates in Pakistan.

as a New Genetic Marker for Differentiation of Prototheca Species.

Achlorophyllous unicellular microalgae of the genus (, ) are the only known plants that cause infections in both humans and animals, collectively referred to as protothecosis. Human protothecosis, most commonly manifested as cutaneous, articular, and disseminated disease, is primarily caused by , followed by and, sporadically, by and In veterinary medicine, however, is a major pathogen responsible for bovine mastitis, which is a predominant form of protothecal disease in animals. Historically, identification of spp.

Characterization of Mutations Conferring Resistance to Rifampin in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Strains.

Resistance of to rifampin (RMP), mediated by mutations in the gene coding for the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase, poses a serious threat to the efficacy of clinical management and, thus, control programs for tuberculosis (TB). The contribution of many individual mutations to the development and level of RMP resistance remains elusive. In this study, the incidence of mutations throughout the gene among 115 clinical isolates, both resistant and susceptible to RMP, was determined.

Clinical, radiological and molecular features of Mycobacterium kansasii pulmonary disease.

Background: Studies concerning sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory features of Mycobacterium kansasii pulmonary disease are few and based on small patient cohorts. The objective of the study was to evaluate characteristics of patients from whom M. kansasii respiratory isolates were recovered and to provide a detailed description of M.